The original ALICE chatbot, under development since 1995, is one of the most popular chat bots. Based on AIML 1.0, the ALICE chatbot contains about 100,000 units of knowledge. ALICE has won numerous awards in Turing Test and chatbot contests, and in fact is the most awarded chatbot.

The original ALICE is however a bit dated. Many developers found the personality responses of original bot unsuitable for applications such as help desk, FAQ bots, and sales. Moreover many of the responses were hard-wired to what are now, 15 years after they were written, obsolete cultural references. ALICE’s personality reflects the mindset of a web-based entity. Some responses assume the user is sitting in front of computer, using a web browser, and typing rather than speaking. Finally, much of the knowledge in the ALICE brain is “Wikipedia-style” facts.

ALICE 2.0 repairs the shortcomings of the original ALICE. Because ALICE 2.0 can obtain factual information from external services and other bots, the number of AIML categories required is reduced. These external sources provide up-to-date cultural references and information about current events. Also making use 2.0 features means that, in many cases, the work done by hundreds or thousands of AIML 1.0 categories can be compressed into a single category. The personality of ALICE 2.0 is positive and friendly, and designed to play the role a mobile device robot entity.

Where can I get ALICE 2.0?

ALICE 2.0 is available in the CallMom BASIC app on Google Play. The CallMom BASIC - ALICE 2.0 app offers all the features of ALICE 2.0 as well as enhanced privacy controls. Because the bot resides directly on the device, the user has more choices about whether his interactions and personal information are recorded on a remote server.

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About Dr. Richard Wallace

Dr. Richard S. Wallace formed the ALICE A. I. Foundation in 2001 to promote the development and adoption of Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML) and ALICE free software. Dr. Wallace has a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon.